Background: Acupuncture is frequently advocated as an adjunct treatment during stroke rehabilitation. The aim of this review was to assess its effectiveness in this setting.
Methods: We searched 25 databases and 12 major Korean traditional medicine journals from their inception to October 2009. We included randomized controlled trials, with no language restrictions, that compared the effects of acupuncture (with or without electrical stimulation) with sham acupuncture. We assessed the methodologic quality of the trials using the Cochrane risk-of-bias criteria and the PEDro (Physiotherapy Evidence Database) scale.
Results: Ten of 664 potentially relevant studies met our inclusion criteria. For acute and subacute stages after stroke, we included seven trials. A meta-analysis of the five studies that assessed functionality did not show a significant difference in favour of acupuncture, with high heterogeneity. A post-hoc sensitivity analysis of three trials with low risk of bias did not show beneficial effects of acupuncture on activities of daily living at the end of the intervention period (n = 244; standard mean difference 0.07, 95% confidence interval [CI] -0.18 to 0.32; I(2) = 0%) or after follow-up (n = 244; standard mean difference 0.10, 95% CI -0.15 to 0.35; I(2) = 0%). For the chronic stage after stroke, three trials tested effects of acupuncture on function according to the Modified Ashworth Scale; all failed to show favourable effects.
Interpretation: Our meta-analyses of data from rigorous randomized sham-controlled trials did not show a positive effect of acupuncture as a treatment for functional recovery after stroke.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
---|---|
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2972322 | PMC |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1503/cmaj.091113 | DOI Listing |
Pain Manag Nurs
January 2025
The First Rongjun Special Care Hospital of Hebei Province, Xingtai, China.
Objectives: This study aimed to assess the efficacy of acupuncture in relieving postoperative pain.
Design: Systematic review and meta-analysis.
Data Sources: The search strategy was designed according to the PICOS principle (population, intervention, comparison, outcome, and study).
Inn Med (Heidelb)
January 2025
Klinik und Poliklinik für Orthopädie, Unfallchirurgie und Plastisch-Ästhetische Chirurgie, Universitätsklinikum Köln (AöR), Kerpener Straße 62, 50937, Köln, Deutschland.
Chronic back pain is a global health problem with significant impacts on physical and mental health, work ability, and quality of life. Back pain has an increased risk of becoming chronic, especially in patients with other chronic conditions. Treatment primarily focuses on nonpharmacological approaches.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFront Neurol
December 2024
Department of Tuina and Rehabilitation Medicine, Hubei Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Wuhan, China.
Background: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a chronic, progressive disease that affects both upper and lower motor neurons. Some physicians have used traditional Chinese therapies (TCT) to treat ALS. However, there has been no systematic review or meta-analysis to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of TCT interventions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFront Neurol
December 2024
The Second School of Clinical Medicine, Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Harbin, China.
Objective: Sciatic nerve injuries often lead to severe pain and motor dysfunction, causing serious impact on patients' quality of life. Acupuncture, as one of the main therapies in traditional Chinese medicine, is gradually gaining attention in the field of nerve injury due to its potential role in pain relief and nerve repair. Bibliometric and scientific knowledge mapping methods were employed to analyze the current research status, hotspots, and development trends of acupuncture for sciatic nerve injury (SNI) over the past decade.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Pain Res
January 2025
Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, People's Republic of China.
Objective: This systematic review aimed to compare the efficacy of various acupuncture dosages for Chronic Stable Angina (CSA) using randomized controlled trials (RCTs), addressing the unclear relationship between dosage and effectiveness despite acupuncture's potential.
Methods: We searched eight bibliographic databases from inception to October 31, 2024, evaluating RCTs comparing acupuncture to placebo or standard care for CSA patients, focusing on angina attack frequency as the primary outcome. Studies were categorized into high (HDG), moderate (MDG), and low (LDG) dosage groups based on acupuncture characteristics: the number of acupoints, total sessions, frequency per week, and the need for "Deqi".
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!